Properties of the Binary Black Hole Merger GW150914
Source
Physical Review Letters
ISSN
00319007
Date Issued
2016-06-14
Author(s)
Abbott, B. P.
Abbott, R.
Abbott, T. D.
Abernathy, M. R.
Acernese, F.
Ackley, K.
Adams, C.
Adams, T.
Addesso, P.
Adhikari, R. X.
Adya, V. B.
Affeldt, C.
Agathos, M.
Agatsuma, K.
Aggarwal, N.
Aguiar, O. D.
Aiello, L.
Ain, A.
Ajith, P.
Allen, B.
Allocca, A.
Altin, P. A.
Anderson, S. B.
Anderson, W. G.
Arai, K.
Araya, M. C.
Arceneaux, C. C.
Areeda, J. S.
Arnaud, N.
Arun, K. G.
Ascenzi, S.
Ashton, G.
Ast, M.
Aston, S. M.
Astone, P.
Aufmuth, P.
Aulbert, C.
Babak, S.
Bacon, P.
Bader, M. K.M.
Baker, P. T.
Baldaccini, F.
Ballardin, G.
Ballmer, S. W.
Barayoga, J. C.
Barclay, S. E.
Barish, B. C.
Barker, D.
Barone, F.
Barr, B.
Barsotti, L.
Barsuglia, M.
Barta, D.
Bartlett, J.
Bartos, I.
Bassiri, R.
Basti, A.
Batch, J. C.
Baune, C.
Bavigadda, V.
Bazzan, M.
Behnke, B.
Bejger, M.
Bell, A. S.
Bell, C. J.
Berger, B. K.
Bergman, J.
Bergmann, G.
Berry, C. P.L.
Bersanetti, D.
Bertolini, A.
Betzwieser, J.
Bhagwat, S.
Bhandare, R.
Bilenko, I. A.
Billingsley, G.
Birch, J.
Birney, R.
Birnholtz, O.
Biscans, S.
Bisht, A.
Bitossi, M.
Biwer, C.
Bizouard, M. A.
Blackburn, J. K.
Blair, C. D.
Blair, D. G.
Blair, R. M.
Bloemen, S.
Bock, O.
Bodiya, T. P.
Boer, M.
Bogaert, G.
Bogan, C.
Bohe, A.
Bojtos, P.
Bond, C.
Bondu, F.
Bonnand, R.
Boom, B. A.
Abstract
On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected a gravitational-wave transient (GW150914); we characterize the properties of the source and its parameters. The data around the time of the event were analyzed coherently across the LIGO network using a suite of accurate waveform models that describe gravitational waves from a compact binary system in general relativity. GW150914 was produced by a nearly equal mass binary black hole of masses 36-4+5M and 29-4+4M; for each parameter we report the median value and the range of the 90% credible interval. The dimensionless spin magnitude of the more massive black hole is bound to be <0.7 (at 90% probability). The luminosity distance to the source is 410-180+160 Mpc, corresponding to a redshift 0.09-0.04+0.03 assuming standard cosmology. The source location is constrained to an annulus section of 610 deg2, primarily in the southern hemisphere. The binary merges into a black hole of mass 62-4+4M and spin 0.67-0.07+0.05. This black hole is significantly more massive than any other inferred from electromagnetic observations in the stellar-mass regime.